Biocube 29 w/LEDs: A learning experience.

[Rollermonkey]

OK. Ammonia is still at zero. Nitrites are hovering at about 0.02ppm and Nitrates have dropped to 40ppm.

 

A couple of days ago, I started to notice some brown spots on the highest rock, but at first, I wasn't sure if I was imagining things. Then they grew a little and got a little darker, and I started to wonder/worry that it might be cyano of some kind. Today, the spots are larger, have started to get a little green color to them and are starting to get hairy.

 

Interesting. Not sure what I was expecting for an algae bloom, but it wasn't this. My diatom bloom was quite small and quite a while back, also not what I expected.

 

Also on a positive note, I am starting to see more pinkish-purplish spots similar in color to my bit of plating coralline algae.

[Rollermonkey]

My stuff from the BRS group buy should be here about Tuesday. Got some Hannah checkers and extra fluids in there.

 

Ordered a pH probe and cal fluid from Aqua Cave on Saturday, so that should ship in the morning, too.

 

Lastly, my new camera should be here by Wednesday. All the better to take "what the hell is this" pictures with for the ID forum.

[Rollermonkey]

...And the Nitrates are spiking for a third time.

 

At least I can see a tiny tuft or two of green-hair algae. Maybe the algae doesn't like the high flow in my tank? The MP10 is set at about 65%, plus the MJ1200...

[Reyam]

You are lucky. My GHA or Turf whatever it is(post a picture Tom) waves like tall grass in the wind and seems to thrive off the flow. Started out slow and Bam now it's 1+" in length. You can see where the CUC is at work but very slow. Need to add a few more turbos only 1 ATM. And it looks like my hermits are loving the stuff. Snail climbs up the back and hides in shadow while the hermits seem to eat non stop.

 

I am also Thinking about swapping out my carbon filter pads or atleast 1 of them for a Deep Blue Nitrate control pad. Last night they were still 15ppm. Will check again tomorrow night give it a 2day break in testing this time.

[Reyam]

...And the Nitrates are spiking for a third time.

 

At least I can see a tiny tuft or two of green-hair algae. Maybe the algae doesn't like the high flow in my tank? The MP10 is set at about 65%, plus the MJ1200...

 

 

how much flow do you have? I have an est 2,083 GPH rate of flow in tank. Twin 750's running full no controller at this time, internal pump is pulling 423 gph and returning it to the tank(tech 2 different flows occuring not sure if the pump is saying 211.5 intake and then 211.5 output for a total gph flow of 423 or not but I am measuring it as just 423 and then the subcurent surface skimmer returns an est 160gph via twin outputs. It's something like 69x the tank vol. Turned over an hr.

 

Flow anyone?

[Rollermonkey]

Yeah, I've been testing every other day through the cycle. Since I'm being super patient about everything else, it helps me stay satisfied despite the lack of progress.

 

I got a bunch of smaller stuff today, as you can see by the updated signature. (Hanna Checkers for Phosphate and Alkalinity) I didn't even break open the Red Sea Reef Foundation Pro Test Kit. (Ca, KH and Mg)

[Deleted User 3]

Yeah, I've been testing every other day through the cycle. Since I'm being super patient about everything else, it helps me stay satisfied despite the lack of progress.

 

YOU TOO? I thought it was just me...being obsessive.

 

The Gucci Quarantine Tank

 

 

Holds water, light looks good, now can I buy something alive?

 

Crud. Still cycling the DT.

 

Makes googley eyes... oo0o0o0o0o lol. your QT looks better than my DT >< although i think my fishies like the bucket QT... less scariness of a dog putting its nose up to the glass....

 

Reefquake!

 

Fortunately, it was just the stuff I had stacked in the front, not the pieces I glued together the other day.

 

2YO was messing around with the magfloat. I think I'm going to have to keep it in the stand until I need it.

 

... lol reefquake... clever. i'm going to yell AVALANCHE when my rock falls next time.

[Reyam]

Yeah, I've been testing every other day through the cycle. Since I'm being super patient about everything else, it helps me stay satisfied despite the lack of progress.

 

I got a bunch of smaller stuff today, as you can see by the updated signature. (Hanna Checkers for Phosphate and Alkalinity) I didn't even break open the Red Sea Reef Foundation Pro Test Kit. (Ca, KH and Mg)

What are u using as a Nitrate reducer other then a WC?

[Rollermonkey]

I have Floss over Purigen over ChemiPure Elite in my inTank media basket. I'll be adding chaeto to the refugium basket with the CUC fairly soon...

 

I have to time the order with a day off so the CUC isn't sitting in the box while I'm at work. (I am typically off two or three weekdays.) I know the wife wouldn't open the box to dump them in, even if I asked.

[Reyam]

I am looking at the deep blue nitrate reducer filter floss or the Seachem De*nitrate bags. Going to get one of the two and more CUC in the morning.

[Rollermonkey]

CUC and chaeto has been ordered from John, to arrive on Tuesday.

 

Yay for critters, since I STILL haven't seen any hitchhikers of any kind.

[Reyam]

CUC and chaeto has been ordered from John, to arrive on Tuesday.

 

Yay for critters, since I STILL haven't seen any hitchhikers of any kind.

You have had some really clean LR. I find more things every other day.

[Rollermonkey]

Yeah, but there's hardly any coralline algae, either. It's there, and I can see that it's starting to grow, but if that's the price to avoid nasties, I guess that's fine.

[Reyam]

Yea nice offset. I picked up 1 fighting Conch about 2.5-3", 2 Halloween Hermits, and 2 more Lg Turbos. An then about 15 empty shells of both the new Halloween hermits and the other 4 red/blues I have.

[Rollermonkey]

If it's not one thing, it's another. While doing a 5 gallon water change, I noticed something inside my refugium...

 

Possible green bubble algae, possible red slime algae and a bunch of green and brown algae inside the media baskets and on the walls of chamber 2.

 

Then I looked in chamber 3 with a flashlight and realized that the MJ1200 strainer was jam packed with muck from when I added the sand.

 

I turned off the pumps and then I cleaned the strainer, scrubbed out the media baskets in my kitchen sink, scooped as much of the gunk off the walls of the refugium as possible without adding it to the water column then scrubbed the chamber as clean as I could. I turned off the refugium light until my chaeto gets here with the CUC on Tuesday.

 

Next, I'll probably get GBA all over the DT.

 

I'll post pictures tomorrow. I'm effing tired.

[Reyam]

Dang that is a bit of bad luck. I have not seen any algae other then my GHA. Your CUC is from reefcleaners? Mine have been working alot with only about 20% improve. Guess it's a waiting game. I did install the nitrate reducer pad last night. When I test today I will let you know if it's working.

[Rollermonkey]

Here's what I have growing in my tank:

 

This is in the refugium, and I believe might be cyanobacteria:

 

 

Here's what's growing in the display area of the tank:

 

On the sand, in a lower flow area, I have this:

 

On the various rocks:

 

There's definitely some bright green GHA, but not a lot. All of the purplish stuff was where I had coralline algae when the rocks first went in. Hopefully, this is just that expanding and not whatever was growing in the fuge. The greenish-brown stuff is hairy in the darkest patches where it has been growing the longest.

[Reyam]

Chris-

 

That's how mine looked a few days before it took off. Now it's full blown grass. (crazy)

How did you treat your rock pre-strart? I am thinking of pulling all my pukani and putting it in a QT(plastic tub) and throwing it in the garage... heat no problem, flow 750 and dosing it/curing it with different types of solution to remove the GHA and pull the phos out of the rock with LC is my new goal. Looks like my CUC will be the only thing in my tank for another month. =)

[Rollermonkey]

I didn't treat my LR pre-start, as it was sold as partially pre-cured. I just scrubbed it well and dropped it in. A week later, I scrubbed again as I scaped it. My phosphate is less than 0.5ppm, and went down since the first measurement, so hopefully, that's not going to be a problem.

[Rollermonkey]

It's getting thicker...

 

Tuesday can't get here fast enough.

[Reyam]

It's getting thicker...

 

Tuesday can't get here fast enough.

 

Once it gets thick it shoots up like a rocket. I hope your tank won't go as bad as mine. Do you have a FTS of the current condition?

[Rollermonkey]

Not right now. Tomorrow, I'll take a shot just before I start temperature acclimatizing the CUC.

 

I figure that should be about as bad as it will get, and I can do a time-lapse of the cleanup.

[Rollermonkey]

Yay for critters!

 

John still can't count, even though I asked him for specific numbers of items. (OK, he only went over on the littlest snails, but 30-something is not even close to six.)

 

There hermits were running around the bag as soon as I set it on top of the water. Many of the snails had their doors open, too. After 15 minutes of floating on top of the water, I started opening the bags. I'd say 65% of the stuff was already moving before I was even done opening the bags.

 

The Fuzzy Chiton is a MACHINE. It might be slow, but so far it leaves nothing behind but clean, bare rock. It hasn't gotten far, but I can see exactly where it has gone since it left the little piece of broken shell it rode here from Stuart, FL on.

 

Some of the snails are ridiculously fast, climbing half way up the rock in just a minute or two. Some of these ones aren't even a 1/4" long, so that's a long way for the little guys.

 

None of the Florida Ceriths or Limpets were moving right away, but plenty of time, plenty of time.

 

Nice to finally have something to look at in there.

[Reyam]

Something to watch work is so much more entertaining then the algae growing.

 

Glad you got a good batch of CUC can't wait for photos.

[Rollermonkey]

One of the hermits has been cleaning one of the Florida ceriths most of the day. Well, the FC woke up finally and went straight down into the sand to get away. The hermit was trying to dig after it unsuccessfully.

 

/ lol